Water pump packing



Dec. 5, 1939. w, A E|SE 2,182,226

WATER PUMP PACKING Filed Nov. 18, 1936 IDQ ZZZZ/ff, @239 Too ' PatentedDec. 5, 1939 V UNITED STATES lZ ATENT OFFICE eral Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application November 18, 1936,Serial No. 111,349 a '4 Claims.

This invention relates to water pump packings and particularly to thewater pump packings associated with the water pump used in connectionwith the internal combustion engines of auto- ,5 motive vehicles.

It is the object of the invention to construct an inexpensive, efficientwater 'pump packing which may be inserted on the water pump shaft as aunit and will need no further attention throughout the life of theautomobile.

The invention consists essentially of a sleeve which surrounds the waterpump shaft and is positioned between the two end bearings on which theshaft rotates. The sleeve has attached thereto at its two ends, packingelements which press inwardly against the shaft and outwardly against acylinder which connects the two bearings. The seal is so arranged thatthe packing members thereof are constantly urged against the surfaceswith which th'ey form the seal.

Experience has shown that a water pump shaft will not rotate perfectlyon its axis in the two bearings but owing to the fact that a smallamount of clearance is necessary between all shafts and their bearings,this small amount of clearance or play will enable the shaft to wabbleas a whole about a point or center between the two bearings, the limitof the wabble being confined to the clearance between the shaft andbearings. This wabble of the shaft causes excessive wear on the usualtype of packing and it is one of the objects of the invention to make aseal which will not be affected by shaft wabble. The seal is so designedthat it will moveas a whole with the shaft as it wabbles or movesbodily.

On the drawing Figure 1 is a sectional view through the water pump andwater pump drive of an internal comw bustion engine of an automotivevehicle.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the water pump seal showing amodified form of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the metallic sleeve ofFigure 2. i

' Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates the cast water pumphousing which has the inlet 4 which may be suitably curved and have anattaching flange (not shown) by means of which it is secured to theengine, block of the automotive vehicle. The housing or casting 2 ishollow as indicated at 6 and has the pump rotor 8 mounted therein. Thehousing is closed by the cover l0 secured in place by the machine boltsl2. The casting has an opening at one side in which there is mounted thebearing l4, in which there is rotatably received the water pump shaftI6. The hub ill of the rotor 8 is secured to the end of the shaft l6 bymeans of the key 20. The bearing l4 has the lubricant. groove 22 whichmates with a lubricant groove 24 in the casting 2. A suitable grease cup(not shown) may be secured to the mouth of the passage 24.

A second casting (or forging) 26 has a flange 2B fitting against theouter side of the casting 2. The casting 26 is secured to the casting 2by means of the machine bolts 30. The extremity of the member 26 has thebearing 32 mounted therein in which there is rotatably received theother end of the shaft 16. To the end of the shaft l6 there is securedthe hub 34 of a fan 36 the blades of which are shown at 38. The hub 34is secured to the shaftbymeans of the key 40 and the fan 36 is securedto the hub by means of the machine bolts 42.

Secured between the fan 36 and the hub 34 is the flange 44 of a cupshaped member 46 having a fan belt pulley 43 formed at the end thereof.The fan belt pulley 48 is grooved as shown and the fan belt 50 operatestherein. The fanbelt 50 is driven from the engine in the usual way.

The twobearings l4 and 32 are spaced and have their adjacent extremitiesconnected by a cylinder 52. The cylinder 52 fits over the ends of thebearings l4 and 32 and may be secured to the bearing H4 in liquid tightrelation, butit preferably has a slip fit with both bearings.

Between the ends of the bearings I4 and 32 and inside the cylinder 52the water pump seal 54 of the engine is applied. The seal includes thesleeve 56 the outer end of which is formed into an annular groove 58 inwhichthere is received the packing 60. The packing 60, when'it is in theposition shown in Figure 1, is tightly compressed and pushesoutwardlyagainst the inside of the cylinder 52.

The other end of the sleeve 56 is tapered or formed into truncated coneshape as shown at 62 with the smaller end of the cone closer to theshaft l6. If desired, the sleeve-54 may be tapered for its entirelength. A packing, element 64 fits between the shaft. in the'conicalpart 62 to form a water tight seal with the shaft- I 6. A follower 66 ispositioned at the end of the packing 64 and is considerably smaller thanthe sleeve 54. A spring 68 is under compression and held between thefollower 66 and a flanged rib 69 formed at the other end of the sleeve56; The spring constantly urges the follower 66 u against the packing asto insure a tight fit and prevent the leakage of-water.

The operation of,the seal is as follows: as the pump draws the waterfrom the inlet and forces it out at the outlet the space i in which therotor 8 operates is full of waterand in time a slight leakage may occurbetween the shaft 16 and the hearing it. The water will reach the endof,

' the bearing l4 and will be preventedfrom going seal formed by thepacking so with the inside any farther because of the water seal formedby the packing 60 with the shaft l6 and the second of the cylinder 52.

Figure 2 shows a different type of seal but accomplishes the sameobject. Except for the different type of seal, the parts are the same.

" The sleeve 56' is best shown in perspective in Figure 3 and comprisesthe center solid cylindrical part Iii, the wide end part I2 and thenarrounding it there is formed the packing. iii). The

packing 8Ii has the flat peripheral outer part 82, and the innercylindricalv part 84, which press against the inside of the cylinder 52,and against the outside or the shaft Iii-respectively, to form a watertight seal. The packing or fabric 80 surrounds the element 56' and thewater pump shaft and is impermeable to water and because pf the springtension of the fingers I6 and I8 the flat cylindrical part 82 is pressed,Outwardly against the cylinder 52 and the inner cylindrical springfingers It to expand hold the packing part 14 is pressed inwardlyagainst'the Shaft to form a water tight seal. When thecompleted packingas shown in Figure 2 is slipped over the shaft, the fingers I8 arespread and their spring tension urges them toward the shaft. .On theother hand, the forcing of the fingers I6 and the 1 part 82 in thecylinder 52 compresses the fingers I8 and the packing so that thetendency of the tightly againsbthe inside of the cylinder 52.

; bling movement." The conical end 62 will de- .In the species of Figure1 the metallic sleeve 56 is capable of following the. wabbling orvbodily movements of the shaft I]. The packing 60 at the one end maybeconsidered as the pivotal part for the, conical end 62. Whenthe shaft i8wabbles thesealll'will partake of the webscribe the 'shafts movement andrnove about-the interface betweenthe packing GI and the interior ofthecylinder 52 as a fulcrunn In thus enabling1theseal as awholeto movebodilywith the no excessive pressure of the packing it against the shaft16 is required. In applying the packing 84, its inside diameter is madethe .same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft so as.not to have a great pressiire,-'for the inherent ability of a packing Vitself within narrow limits-to the shape of its.

confining-walls will enable the packing lightly to contact the shaftafter a short-'period-of use. The lightpressure of the spring 68 on thefol lower as m e hteih this light pressure con act aisaaac between thepacking 6t and the shaft it and prevent the burning out of the packingdue to excessive friction between the shaft and packing. The species ofFigure 2 has the same characterstics. The end at 86 will partake of thewebbling movement of the shaft I6, pivoting or moving about the contactface at 82. I claim:

1. In a water pump seal, a rotatable shaft, spaced hearings in which theshaft rotates. a cylinder fitting over both bearings, said seal beingpositionedbetween said bearings to prevent water from passing beyond oneof the bearings, said seal comprising an elongated metal sleeve sur-"rounding the shaft and enclosed by the cylinder, a groove at one end ofthe sleeve, a packing in the groove bearing against the inside of thecylinder, packing in the sleeve at the other end thereof, and means inthe sleeve and retained thereby and wedging said packing between the ingpositioned between'saidbearings to prevent I water from passing beyondone of thebearlngs,

said seal comprising an elongated metal sleeve surrounding the shaft andenclosed by the cylinder, a groove at one end of the sleeve, packing inthe groove bearing against the inside of the cylinder, theother end ofsaid sleeve having a conical shape, packing in the cone between thesleeve and the shaft, and aspring' in the sleeve and retained therebyand constantly wedging the last named packing between the shaft and thecone to form a water tight seal.

3. In a water pump seal; a rotatable shaft, spaced hearings in, whichthe shaft rotates, a cylinder fitting over the ends of both bearings,said sealbeing positioned in the cylinder and between the bearings toprevent water frompassing beyond one ofthe bearings and comprising anelongated tapered sleeve, a packing surrounding the sleeve, said sleevebeing positioned be- -tween the bearings and surrounding the shaft andenclosed by the cylinder, the larger end of said sleeve and packingbearing against the inside of the cylinder, the smaller end of saidsleeve and packing bearing against'the shaft to form water tight seals,the metal of said. sleeve being solidand the ends ofsaid sleeve beingformed into fingers to give-a spring action thereto to'cause thepacking'to be tightly pressed against the cylinder and shaft.

.4..In a' water pump seal, a. rotatable shaft, spaced hearings in whichthe shaft rotates, a

- cylinder fitting over the ends of bothbearings,

said seal being positioned in the cylinderand between the bearings-toprevent water frompassing beyond one of the bearings and comprising asleeve surrounding the shaft and enclosed by the cylinder, the ends ofsaid sleeve being formed into spring fingers. said fingers beingoutwardly bent at one end'and inwardly bent at the other end ofth'esleeve, a packing surrounding and enclosing the sleeve, the largerend ofthe packing and sleeve pressing tightly against the insideof thecylinder, the smallerv end of the sleeve and packing pressing tightlyagainst the shaft, 5

wen-eh A. onrsn.

